Gopher weekend at the NHEC

Ryan Faragher is a sophomore goaltender and history education major from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada.

The league-leading men's Husky Hockey team hosts the University of Minnesota for a pivotal two-game series Feb. 8-9 at the National Hockey & Event Center.

With eight league games to play, the Huskies have a three-point lead over University of Nebraska-Omaha and a five-point lead over the Gophers in the hunt for the McNaughton Cup, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's century-old, solid-silver, regular-season title trophy.

Friday's game is 7:37 p.m. Saturday's game is 7:07 p.m. Seats and standing-room-only tickets are available at scsutickets.com.

The games will feature two of the best forwards in college hockey: St. Cloud State's senior center and captain Drew LeBlanc (8-30-38) and Gopher center Erik Haula (11-20-31). LeBlanc leads the nation in assists and is second in combined assists-and-goals.

LeBlanc, a math education major from Hermantown, is a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's version of the Heisman.

Also featured will be two of the league's best goalies, St. Cloud State sophomore Ryan Faragher, who owns a league-best 1.89 goals against average (GAA), and Gopher frosh Adam Wilcox, whose 2.09 GAA is fifth-best in league play.

Two St. Cloud State groups are hosting pre-game events:

Alumni Association is a hosting a social 4:30-6:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Brothers Bar & Grill, 119 5th Ave. S., in downtown St. Cloud.

The Center Ice Club booster group's social is 4-6 p.m. Feb. 9 at the White Horse Resturant & Bar, 809 W. St. Germain, in dowtown St. Cloud.

Television coverage includes Charter Cable 87 in the St. Cloud area, Comcast Cable channel 13 in the St. Paul area and Comcast cable channel 23 in the Minneapolis area. The Charter and Comcast channels are carrying the student-run Husky Productions broadcast.

Radio coverage includes KVSC 88.1 FM, the student-run campus radio station, and KNSI 1450 AM/103.3 FM/Web-stream.